The 2026-2027 Division II Women’s Basketball season will kick off in Owensboro this November as Visit Owensboro, the Owensboro Sportscenter, and Kentucky Wesleyan College host the Conference Commissioner's Association (CCA) Division II Women’s Basketball Tip-Off Classic this November 6-7. Each season, the NCAA nationally recognizes this invitational as the D2 season opener with select teams being able to compete prior to the opening week of the basketball season. The Tip-Off Classic is the nation’s premier season opening event with top programs from around the country being invited to take part. This November’s field of participating teams will feature Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro, Kentucky), Harding University (Searcy, Arkansas), Union University (Jackson, Tennessee), Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan), Carson Newman University (Jefferson City, Tennessee), Missouri Western State University (St. Joseph, Missouri), Gannon University (Erie, Pennsylvania), and Roosevelt University (Chicago, Illinois). Five of these participating programs competed in the 2025-2026 NCAA DII Women’s Basketball national tournament.  

The D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic dates back to 2006, when the Division II Conference Commissioners Association established the event as a premier early season showcase for NCAA Division II men's and women's college basketball. Over time, the event has developed into a nationally recognized season-opening competition, bringing together strong Division II programs from multiple conferences and regions. Its exempt status allows participating teams to play official games before the standard season-opening date, giving them an early opportunity to compete and establish their postseason résumés. The men’s edition of the 2026 Tip-Off Classic is being hosted in Lakeland, Florida. 

Full Tournament Schedule - all times are CT